Bowling top



May 29, 1962 GARTNER 3,036,835

BOWLING TOP Filed Feb. 2. 1960 IN V EN TOR.

Raymond Jlvrtzwr hm, MW3 W ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,636,835 Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,835 BOWLING TOP Raymond J. Gartner, 746 44th St. NW., Canton, Ohio Filed Feb. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 6,228 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-147) This invention relates to an educational toy and more particularly it pertains to a top adapted to be spun by a cord wound around the outer surface of the top.

In the past tops have been variously provided with scales having an indicator rotatably mounted for reference to a scale of numerals for scoring in games. However, most of such tops have been unsatisfactory because they have lacked means for locking the indicator in place when the top stops spinning. As a result it has been diflicult to obtain dependable reading for scoring purposes.

It has been found that if the top is provided with a governor, the indicator may be definitely locked in place with reference to a numeral.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a top having a scale of numerals and a pair of indicators referring to the scale.

It is another object of this invention to provide a top having a governor for locking the indicators in place when the top is decelerating its rotation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a top having 'a governor for unlocking the indicators when the top is accelerating its speed.

It is another object of this invention to provide a top having a pair of scoring indicators which cannot be manipulated after the top has stopped spinning.

Finally, it is an object of this invention to provide a top which accomplishes the foregoing objects and desiderata in a simple and effective manner.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claim may be obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described diificulties overcome by the discoveries, principles, apparatus, parts, elements, combinations, and subcombinations which comprise the present invention, the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of which-illustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principlesis set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing, and which is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claim forming part hereof.

In the drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a top showing a pair of indicators and a scale of numerals;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the governor in the unexpanded position;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the governor in the radially expanded position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

A top is generally indicated at 1 in FIG. 2. It includes a body 2, a central bore 3, a shaft 4, a scale of numerals 5, a pair of indicators 6 and 7, and a governor 8. The body 2 is an inverted conical member in which the shaft 4 extends through the bore 3 in the axis of rotation of the body of the top. The shaft 4 is secured either by a pressed fit in the bore or by a pin 9. At its lower end the shaft 4 is provided with a spinner point 10 composed of a relatively hard substance such as metal to facilitate rotation on a hard surface. The upper end of the shaft 4 has an integral head 11 for retaining the pointers or indicators 6 and 7 in place on the upper end portion of the shaft.

The bore 3 also includes an enlarged intermediate portion 12 as well as an upper countersunk portion 13 facing the upper surface of the top. Within the intermediate portion 12 the governor 8 is mounted on the shaft 4.

The governor 8 includes a bowed member having opposite ends 14 and 15 which are 'apertured for mounting on the shaft 4. One end 15 being lowermost is disposed against a washer 16 that is secured on the shaft 4 such as by a solder or braze joint 17. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion of the governor 8 is enlarged at 1-8 to accommodate an aperture 19 which is slidably mounted over the shaft 4. In addition, the governor 8 includes a pair of similar balanced weights 20 mounted on opposite sides of the governor.

The bowed member is an elongated flexible element such as a flat strip or a wire having springlike characteristics. In the stationary status the member 8 has a shape substantially as shown in FIG. 2. When the top 1 is rotated, the force of gravity causes the weights 20 to move radially outwardly towards the wall of the enlarged intermediate portion 12 of the bore 3, whereby the upper enlarged portion 18 of the governor slides downwardly on the shaft as shown in FIG. 4.

However, as shown in FIG. 2, with the governor 8 in the static position, the upper enlarged portion 18 presses against a sleeve 21 which is mounted on the shaft 4. The pressure applied by the governor to the sleeve 21 is transmitted to the pointers or indicators 6 and 7 which are spaced from each other by a washer 22. The upper pointer or indicator 6 is spaced from the head 11 of the shaft by a washer 23. As shown in FIG. 2, the governor 8 and the head 11 apply a clamping action on the indicators 6 and 7 to hold the indicators stationary. In the static position the force applied by the governor 8 is sufiicient to hold the indicators 6 and 7 stationary by friction created between the sleeve 21, the washers 22 and 23, and the head 11 of the shaft 4.

When the top 1 is rotated the governor 8 expands to the position shown in FIG. 4, causing the sleeve 21 and the indicators 6 and 7 to drop, leaving a space 11a below the head 11, eliminating friction between the indicators so that the latter are free to rotate on the shaft 4.

The scale 5 is an annular member between the enlarged portion 12 and the countersink 13 and is retained in place by a snap ring 25. A central aperture 24 is provided in the member through which the shaft 4 and sleeve 21 extend. As shown in FIG. 1, the scale 5 has preferably two concentric portions 26 and 27 to which the indicators 6 and 7 refer, respectively. Each scale is numbered such as from zero to 5 as shown, whereby each time the top 1 is spun, a resulting score may be read from the scale, such as the score 6 as shown in FIG. 1. The countersink 13 is provided with a cover 28 which may be composed of a transparent material such as glass or plastic.

Although only two indicators 6 and 7 are shown, it is understood that more or less than two indicators may be used with a corresponding change in the number of concentric portions of the scale 5. Moreover, in addition to using the top as a bowling top, whereby each throw could result in a strike having a score ranging from zero to 10, the top may also be used in conjunction with other games and thereby add to the enjoyment of the game or games involved in which a combination of skill and chance is achieved in an unusual manner.

In order to facilitate rotation of the indicators 6 and 7 to assume different positions with each spin of the top, the body 2 of the top may be provided with a plurality of air passages. Such air passages may include a number of vertical holes 29 extending from the lower portion of the body 1 to the enlarged intermediate part 12 of the bore. Moreover, a plurality of holes 30 may be provided which extend radially at the upper end of the top from the countersink 13 to the outer surface. Finally, a plurality of apertures 31 may be provided in the surface of the scale 5 below the indicators 6 and7.

As a result, when the top is rotated, air is drawn out of the countersink 13 through the apertures '30, for which reason a partial vacuum is created within the top and air enters the holes 29 and 31 to replace the air leaving the countersink 13. As1the air passes through the holes 31, it strikes the undersurface of the indicators 6 and 7 and lifts the same slightly to reduce the friction and facilitate their independent. rotation of each other. For that purpose the-indicators 6 and 7 may be inclined slightly, similar to a propeller blade. Inasmuch as the outer extremities of the apertures 30. are more remote radially from the axis of the top than the-outerextremities of the apertures 29, the air moves into the top through the latter aperturesand leaves the top through the apertures 30in the mannerset forth above.

Finally, by providing. a governor for locking and-unlockingthe indicators 6 and 7 in position between each throw of the ,top, the particular score shown by the indicators.6 and-7 can be read from the scale 5 without prior manipulation by the user. Moreover, the governor holds the indicators 6 and 7 in place and prevents them from drifting when the top is picked up at the end of its spin.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are utilized for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose of limitation and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description of the improvements is by way of example and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details illustrated, or to the specific mechanisms shown.

Having now described the features, discoveries and 5 principles of the invention, the construction, operation and use of the improved mechanisms and the advantageous, new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful parts, elements, constructions, mechanisms, combinations, subcombinations, and arrangements, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art areset forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A top having an inverted conically shaped body having a central bore, a shaft within the bore in the axis of rotation of the .top, the upper end of the shaft having a head, a governor mounted on the shaft below the head, at least one score indicator rotatably mounted. on the shaft between the head and the governor, the governor including a bowed member mounted on the shaft and having elongated flexible portions on opposite sides thereof with lower ends secured'tothe shaft, the governor including a weight on each flexible member, the upper ends of the flexible portions being movable on the shaft between positions forclamping and unclamping the score indicator against the head, the clamping position occurring when the top is stationary and the unclamping' position occurring when the top rotates.

References Cited in the file'of this patent UNITED. STATES PATENTS Ri sbrough' Feb. 12, .1901 Asatnrian Jan. 3, 1922 

